Electric-light socket.



T. A. C. BOTH.

ELECT-RIC LIGHT SOCKET. APPLICATION FILED 8.20. 1915.

1,230,848; Patented June 26,1917.

ED STATES PATENT-@FFTQE.

TONJ'ES A. C. BOTH, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ZEE-SOCKET ANDMFG. COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SOCKET.

Original application filed December 30, 1911, Serial No. 668,632.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Divided and application filed March 29,

1912, Serial No. 687,184. Divided and this application filed February 20, 1915. Serial No. 9,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TONJES A. C. BOTH,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stratford, in thecounty of F airfield and State of Connecticut, but formerly of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Electric-Light Socket, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, which forms a part of the same, this application beinga division of my pending application, Serial No. 687,184, filed March 29, 1912, for mechanical movement and electric-light socket, which latter application was a division of my application, Serial No.

-. 668,632, filed December 30', 1911.

My invention relates to electric light sock- I ets and to certain detailsof construction of the electric light socket, which will be more fully hereinafter described in the specification and pointed out in the claims. My electric light socket is particularly useful because of its simplicity, the few parts used, and the small space occupied by them and because it makes a quick make and a quick break of cheelectric current, without arcing, upon the operation of the driving member in either direction.

Among other advantages my invention permits the socket to be formed smaller and stronger because the opening in which the operating mechanism is mounted need not be so large as for other switch mechanism.

In the accompanying drawing showing illustrative embodiments of my invention and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several references,

Figure 1 is a transverse horizontal section substantially on the 1ine 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved electric light socket, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my electric light socket taken at a right angle to the View of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modlfied form of-intermediate or hill and valley member; and

Fig. 5 is a plan' View of the intermediate -member illustrated in Fig. 4.

Preferably I form the insulating member 2 of two complementary parts 3 and 4, each of them being provided with recesses 5 and 6 to form an interior chamber 7. The recess-6 in the member 3 is provided with two openings 8, 8 to receive the driving members or push buttons 9 and 10. These buttons are provided with shoulders 11, 11 which cooperate with the shoulders 12, 12 in the insulating member 3 to limit the outward movement of the respective driving members or push buttons.

My driven member is preferably a resilient member such as the spring 13 which will be caused to reciprocate with a quick snap within the chamber 7 formed by the two openings 5, 6 in the members 3 and 4c. I/Vhile I may use any suitable form of intermediate movable, or hill and valley member, I preferably use such a member formed out of insulating material such as 14: which is piv' oted on the pin 15 and is connected by the pins 16, 16.at its respective ends, to the driving members which as illustrated are push buttons 9 and 10. The pin 15 is preferably journaled in the grooves 37, 37 on the insulating member 3.

By pushing in the driving member or push button 9, the intermediate movablehill and I valley member 11 will be caused to rock 5 upon its pin 15 and will store up the power in the driven resilient member 13 until such time as the kicker or accelerator l7 crowds or pushes the end 18 of the resilient driven member 13 out of the valley 19 and over the 90 ledge 20 when the entire resilient member 13 will snap over with a quick snap and make a connection between the screw shell contact 21, Fig. 2, carried by the screw shell 22 and the contact 23 of the binding post 24 carrying the binding screw 25. When it is desired to disconnect the consuming device, it is merely necessary to depress he driving member or push button 10' which will have then been elevated. Alternate pressure upon 100 the driving members or push buttons, which ever push button is for the moment extended, will cause the resilient driven member 13 to alternately snap into and out of contact with the contacts 21 and 23. I

The binding post 26 is providedwith an arm 27 which is the center contact for the consuming device. This binding post 26 is provided with a binding screw 28 and is held to the insulating member by means of 110 the locking screw 29. The binding post 24 is secured to the insulating member 4 by the locking SCDWV 30 which is passed through the insulating members in the opposite direction from the locking screw 29. In this manner the insulating members are secured together at the same time that these screws secure the binding post to the insulating members. This same operation will also secure the'screw shell 22 to the insulating members 3 and Lby holding the dovetail surfaces 31 on the insulating members in contact with the dovetail32 on the screw shell 22.

The intermediate member 14 I preferably form in any suitable manner out of-some insulating material as porcela n so as to insulate the driven member 13 from" the push buttons 9 and 10 permitting them to be ing a certain; predetermined position,

formed out of metal or conducting material without being provided with an insulating operating surface.

I may, however, in some cases make this intermediate member out of metal. In Fig' 4 I have shown an intermediate member as made from a stamping and provided with the valleys 3 4, 34: each valley having a ledge 35. Associated with each valley is also preferably an accelerator or kicker 36 to crowd or kick the operating end of the resilient driven member 13 .out of the valley, upon the intermediate movable member reachthereby permitting the operating end of the spring to fly from one valley to the other and at the same time cause the entire resilient member to move laterally with a quick and positive snap.

I also'preferably provide the intermediate member with the trunnions 38, 38 to be received in the grooves 37, 37 in the insulating member 2 which forms a bearing for the intermediate member.

My invention converts a slow or fast pressure on the raiseddriving memberyinto a quick and positive reciprocating movement of the. resilient driven member 13. The switch mechanism serves to make a 'quick make and a quick break'of the electric current without arcing, uponoperating the push buttons.

' My push buttons, it will be noted, are located 'on the same side of the socket and adjacent to each other forming a strong mechanical structure and one which can be readily operated with the minimum inconvenience. buttons is also quite pleasing to the-eye.

My improved socket is adapted to be used though I preferably surround my soc with such a ever, are no part of my present invention, have omitted them from the drawing.

It would be possible in some'cases to use only one push button or This arrangement of the push shell and cap. As these, howdriving member 1,23osae ner. It would be moved in the other direction by pulling on it in any suitable manner as by grasping it by the. thumb and finger;

My invention, therefore, includes either one or more push buttons for actuating the intermediate member. Preferably, I use two such push buttons, as shown.

Having thus described this invention in connection with illustrative embodiments thereof to the details of which I do not desire to. be limited, what is claimed as new andwhat it is desired .to secure by Letters 'Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating base, one or' more push buttons mounted in the base, a resilient conipression driven member, and an intermediate member provided with a substantially flat face and with a groove or valley at either end of said face, said grooves or valleys adapted to momentarily hold the resilient compression driven member from movement,

said intermediate member adapted to be actuated by the push button or buttons.

2.-In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating base, one-or more pushbuttons mounted in the base, a resilient conducting'compression] driven member, and an intermediate member provided with a substantially flat face and with a groove or val.-

ley at either end of. said face, said grooves or valleys adapted to momentarily hold the resilient conducting compression driven member from movement, said' nterm'ediate member adapted to be actuated by the push. 4 button or buttons.

3. In electric lightsockets, the cbmbination of an insulating base, one or more push-- buttons mountedin the base, a resilient conducting compression driven member, and an intermediate insulating member provided with a substantially fiat face and'with a groove or valley at either end of said-face, said grooves or valleys adapted to momentarily hold :the resilient conducting com-, pression driven member from movement, said intermediate member adapted to be actuated by the push button or buttons.

4. In electric light sockets, tion of an insulating base, one or more'push buttons, a sliding resilient conducting driven member adapted to slide on the insulating base, and an intermediate member actuated by the push button or buttons.

5. In electric light sockets, the combina;

tion of an insulating-base 0I1e.0r more push buttons,

base, and

ber-provided with grooves or valleys to-cooperate with the resilient conducting driyen' the combinajprovided with grooves or valleys, to cooperate with 20'"- 1 ,5, a sliding resilient conducting driven I. member adapted'to slide on, the insulating an insulating intermediate mem.-.

tion of an insulating base, one or more push buttons mounted in the insulating base, a sliding resihent compresslon driven member; adapted to slide bbdily upon the insulating base, and an intermediate member adapted to be actuated by the push button or buttons and provided with means to momentarily hold the sliding resilient compressioni driven member from movement.

8. In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating base, one or more push buttons mounted in the insulating base, a slidin resilient compression driven memher a apted to slide bodily upon the insulating base, and an intermediate member adapted to be actuated by the push button or buttons and provided with means to momentarily hold the sliding resilient compression driven member from movement and with-additional means to positively overcome the holding action of the first means when the intermediate member has reached a certain predetermined position.

' 9. In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating base, one or more push 4 buttons mounted in the insulating base, a sliding resilient compression driven member adapted to slide upon the insulating base, and an intermediate insulating pivoted member adapted to be actuated by the push button or buttons and provided with means to momentarily hold the sliding resilient compression driven member from movement.

10. In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating section having two adjacent openings for two push buttons and 3 provided with surfaces to limit the movement of the push buttons in one direction, push buttons mounted in the adjacent openings and provided with'surfaces to cooperate with the surfaces carriedby the insulating section, a pivoted intermediate member provided with means to cooperate with a resilient driven member, means to connect the push buttons to the intermediate member, a resilient driven member independent of the intermediate member and adapted to have movement with relation to it, and

spaced electrical contacts adapted to bebridged by the resilient driven member.

l1. In electric light sockets, the combination of an insulating base, one or more push buttons, a resilient conducting driven member and an intermediate member provided with a. substantially 'flat face, and with means at either end of the fiat face'to hold the resilient driven member from movement during a portion of the operating of the intermediate member, and also with means to subsequently positively actuate the resilient driven member when the intermediate mem ber has reached another position in its travel.

TONJES A. C. BOTH. Witnesses:

MORTMER THALHEIMER, LEON STRAUSS. 

